


The Month of No Gods

by Noizchild



Series: Wasteland 2011 Omakes [4]
Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Character Death, Human Experimentation, Humiliation, Memories, Mental Instability, Multi, POV, Psychological Torture, Secrets, Supernatural Elements, Torture, Visions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-11-07 22:34:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 31
Words: 15,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17969315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noizchild/pseuds/Noizchild
Summary: Fourth omake story for the "Wonderland" series in the Wasteland Project. Short little pieces from the point of view from different characters before and after the last season finale. There might be hints of what is to come in the next season later this year. Consider this season 7.5.





	1. Shizuo

The Month of No Gods

Chapter One: Shizuo:

-Shizuo-

Hurt…

_Beast._

She can't come back. I shiver when I see her. I can still feel those blades against my skin.

_Beast._

Slash. Slash. Slash.

_Beast._

Why did she hate me? Did I make her mad somehow? I can still hear her voice in my head.

_Beast. Beast. Beast._

Too bright! Why is that damn light always on? It hurts my eyes. Why won't it go away?

_Beast. Beast._

She's whispering in my ear again. She can't be back. I made her go quiet. She must have said something to me when I snapped. I couldn't fully understand her. Her voice sounded grabbled together. I just ran forward and it got quiet. She gasped and the blades disappeared.

_Beast. Beast. Beast. Beast. Beast._

She wasn't smiling anymore.

_Beast._

She didn't make a sound.

_Beast. Beast. Beast._

Why can't they turn off that damn light?! I don't know where I am. Humans dragged me out of that dark place and brought me here. I can't move. I keep hearing a buzzing noise around my head. She isn't talking right now. I can't see their faces. They look like static-filled shadows in front of me. They always talk in a whisper. I can't understand what they are saying. I couldn't understand what she was saying either.

_I am a beast._

One word she said kept repeating in my head.

Monster.

_I am a monster._

I saw her teeth when she said that. It still gives me chills. They shine like those blades in her hands. Worse than this light I am trapped under. Why can't they turn it off? They tried to take my head off. It felt like they were going to tear it off from neck. That's right, my head was stitched on. She did this to me.

_Beast._

I don't know why she hurt me like this. Then there is her laughing. Oh. Her laughing. I heard it the same time the blades danced in front of me.

_Monster!_

Turn that damn light off!

_Beast! Monster!_

I am alone down here. They left me down here. They are scared of me. That's why I am trapped down here. She said I was a monster after all. Maybe that's why she tried to kill me with her blades.

_Monster! Beast!_

Hurt… So thirsty… Hungry… I can't move. My body… so sore…

_You are a beast!_

She comes and she goes. She's quiet again. I don't know when she will be back. I don't know when I will get out of here. Maybe I am better off down here.

_You are a beast! You are a beast!_

That damn light never goes off. I can't stand it anymore. Why can't they make it go away? My eyes hurt.

_You are a beast!_

I froze as I heard a whoosh noise further down in front of me. Footsteps walked up to me. That other woman came back again. She always seems so sad.


	2. Celty

Chapter Two: Celty:

-Celty-

Shinra has been trying to keep me in the dark about this whole Tandeki mess. But, it's too late. It's been too late for quite some time. There are some things I haven't told him yet.

I still have that bag from the first job hidden in the closet. I haven't touched it or looked inside. I don't know what I would tell Shinra. I haven't even met the client myself. They don't even give me full instructions on what I am supposed to do. They always leave an envelope with a huge sum of money in it. But that's about it.

The last job was another package with a package of money. No address and no clues of who is hiring me for this. I put the package in the closet along with the bag. I haven't looked in either one.

That's not the only thing either.

I am starting to see demons and other entities around the city. I haven't been the only one for quite some time. There are some that stand out to me, however. I do not know what they want from me. The last demon I saw warned me that there would be stronger demons coming. If I tell Shinra, he's going to try harder to keep everything from me. But, I think he knows that it's too late for that. He still tries anyway. We don't talk about it. I don't ask questions and he doesn't bring it up. We just pretend everything is fine.

I don't think that is going to last long anymore.

I have been tempted to talk about the jobs and the client that I have been on. But, I don't know what to say. I start, but it all vanishes. It doesn't help that he doesn't ask either. Meanwhile, Shingen pulls Shinra deeper into this mess. I am worried that something will go wrong if this keeps up. Last night confirmed my fears.

"Are you okay?" Shinra asked when we got home. I didn't answer. Could more demons possess our friends whenever they pleased? And what about the one that tried to kill Mikado? More demons could go after him and the other tadpoles. If I am near them, they won't be able to defend themselves.

Those demons are not the only ones that have me worried.

What did those two strange people want? That woman with her baby. The man with the fox ears who disemboweled himself. Plus, that woman in front of my apartment. Why did they come to me? What was my employer? What is in those packages?

"Celty. Celty!" I heard Shinra yelling at me. I looked up to see him staring me down.

[Oh,] I typed. I started to type more on my PDA, but I froze. I really need to tell him what's going on. But how am I going to say it? Would he try and change the subject again?

[Actually, Shinra,] I typed. [There is something I have to tell you.]


	3. Megumi

Chapter Three: Megumi:

-Megumi-

I can't fuck. I can't drink. It all just sucks ass.

Still, I will have to keep going.

I scrolled through my phone and sighed. There's nothing interesting tonight. Disappointing. Not like I could go out clubbing. It's just loud, pounding noise with horrible smells. I rolled over onto my stomach. The others are rather boring.

Well, not all of them.

Minami Naoki. He always seems so lonely. I can't really blame him. We can't really trust normals anymore. (Heh, stupid name if you ask me.) I never wanted to see that creepy asshole ever again. Hearing his voice makes my skin crawl. When he made that video, I ended up throwing my phone across the room, screaming. We can't get away from him.

I try not to think about that asshole. It's all that bitch's fault that I am like this. Reform school, my ass! She sent me to hell! I will get her for this!

I shook my head.

This anger is not good for my head. But, I cannot help it. He's determined to not let us go. His stupid experiments are ruining my life. I already can't have sex or get drunk. What more could be do to me? Sure, more men are attracted to me. What's the point if they're just going to die after we do it?

I am starting to get mad again. I pulled up my text inbox on my screen. My finger started to go for the message chain I started with Naomi. She's probably going to think that I am just bitching and moaning again. But, I need this and she doesn't complain either. Mainly because she's in the same boat I am. Without the not having sex without killing people part.

Fuck it, I am just going to do it.

I pulled her up and just started typing.

"I'm starting to get pissed off again. Thinking about that bastard will drive me insane. Give something else to think about." I felt so much better and hit send. I dropped my phone by my side. Just as I had expected, I could feel it vibrate in my hand. Thank you for small wonders.

"They found Seiji," Naomi wrote back. I narrowed my eyes at the screen.

"Who is that again?" I typed. I pressed send.

_You can talk to me this way, you know?_

I sat up with a jolt.  _Don't do that!_

_This is much easier for us to communicate this way._

I wrinkled my nose.  _I don't like it._

_Why is that?_

_It's like an invasion of privacy. I can hear all of your voices in my head._

_We can't see what you are thinking._

_I know, but still…_  I frowned and rolled over onto my side.  _Never mind. Who is Seiji again?_

_He was one of Mikado's friends from school._

_Another normal?_

_Yeah._

_Oh._  I can't sleep around, party, or get drunk like I used to. But, talking to Naomi will have to do for now.


	4. Shinra

Chapter Four: Shinra:

I actually exorcised a demon. I actually exorcised a demon! Wow!

I cleared my throat.

Composure.

Okay, I didn't do it alone. I helped dad and Michiko-chan exercise Seiji last night. I was scared, I had to admit at first. Delivering a baby would've been easier. Then again, my dad keeps dragging me deeper into this mess. I can't turn back now.

I tried to keep Celty out of this, but she ended up being pulled in through Michiko-chan. Damn it, I am sure that this has happened before. I have been getting my memories back about everything that has been happening.

Celty and I don't talk about it. We try to act like everything is normal like it always has been. I try not to think about this mess around her. But, it can't go back to normal now. The rush from last night has already worn off. I have so many questions now. I am going to be asked to do more exorcisms now? Am I going to need training? What happens now?

Last night, Celty said something that brought the gravity of the situation crashing down around me. I should've tried to change the subject like I had down in the past. When she showed me the packages that she had been picking up from the client, I knew that we really couldn't turn back now. She knew just as much as I did. My stomach dropped when I looked into the bag. Before, I didn't ask Celty about the jobs that she was carrying out. She didn't bother to tell me. Now, I wished it had stayed that way.

It's a new day today. I don't think we can pretend to be normal anymore. Celty might have another job from that client tonight. I can't ban her from going out if them. She shouldn't be doing this, but I think she wants to know who this client is. I can't be here to stop her because dad will have me busy again with the tadpole experiments. He's probably going to have me try and hack into Rampo Biotech's database again. I don't understand how I, an underground doctor, ended up getting more jobs to work with in this growing headache.

"This will be good for you to learn more skills in this upcoming war," dad told me. My head whipped around so fast. I think I hurt my neck.

"What?!" I asked.

"I've told this before," dad said. "The Tandeki have dragged us into a war. Didn't I tell you?"

"No, you didn't," I said, shaking my head.

"What did you think this was?" he asked.

"I… I don't know," I admitted. The moment he asked that, I knew that I couldn't turn back now. I wish that I could go back to my normal. But now, my memories won't stop playing in my head. Celty is starting to remember too. My only hope now is to survive it as it gets worse.


	5. Izaya

Chapter Five: Izaya:

-Izaya-

Why am I doing this? They are just going to kill me! What possessed me to take this job? These people are crazy! Kitano-sensei is the worst. He doesn't want world domination. He's trying to kill everyone on the planet.

Well, not everyone.

Why did I accept to do this from that stupid e-mail?

This all started two summers ago. I was just trolling around on the Dollars chatroom when an email popped up on my computer. Hm? I clicked on the message out of boredom. I didn't know what I was looking at first.

I need you to infiltrate the Tandeki Group. Do it as soon as possible.

What is this? At the time, I had heard of the Tandeki Group. Nothing about them stood out to me. Usually, I would've thrown the e-mail in the recycle bin. But then, I saw the address. It looked as if it had been blocked or hidden. At first, I decided to play along.

"Why should I?" I wrote back. I thought that would be the end of that. I didn't expect to get a reply so quickly.

"You will do it if you don't want your precious humans to die."

I stared at this response for about five minutes. I had to think about how I was going to reply back.

"What do you mean?" I wrote back. I hit send and waited for a reply. Sure enough, I got one back. It wasn't in words, mind you. Instead, I got an email attached to the body of the message. Looking back, I probably should've closed out and forgot the whole thing. But, I just had to click play.

That clip couldn't have lasted any longer than about five minutes, give or take. It was a city in Japan in ruins. Crumbling buildings, broken glass on the cracked roads, vines and grass growing everywhere, and signs faded and bent. There were no people or animals in sight. The quiet in the background of the video was the worst part. Now, I can usually tell when a video is being staged. (I have seen enough videos from DeathVine and other places online when I couldn't sleep.) But, something didn't feel right about this video. It just felt… too real. I still get chills thinking about it.

"What is this?" I wrote back.

"It's Ikebukuro from where I am from. The Tandeki Group did all of this. The world is dying at an alarming rate. We are trying to stop it from happening, but we can't do it alone," the person wrote back.

"And why should I do this?" I wrote back. I waited for a reply. The next message would send me on this mission that I wish I could turn back from.

"Because you don't have much to lose," the sender wrote back. I don't know why I wrote the following, but when I realized what I had done, it was too late.

"What do you need me to do?" I wrote back.


	6. Seiji

Chapter Six: Seiji:

-Seiji-

"I'm never letting you out of my sight again!" Mika shouted as she hugged my neck. I said nothing. I don't remember anything that happened over the past few weeks. The last thing I remember was being on the roof of the Sunshine60 building. Everything before then is a haze.

"Seiji-kun," Mika said.

"Hm?" I asked.

"What do you remember after I told you about Namie?" she asked. I shook my head.

"I don't remember anything," I said. She rested her head on my chest.

"It's probably for the best," Mika said. I am not so sure. I don't like not remembering what I did. What if I actually hurt somebody? I don't want to think about that.

That's not the only thing I have questions about.

Mikado is a tadpole? I asked him what did that mean after that demon tried to stab him. He didn't want to answer. Kida wouldn't let him. Plus, there was Hashimoto. I shudder when I think about that crazed look on her face after she licked up Kadota's blood.

"Are you okay, Seiji-kun?" Mika asked. I shook my head.

"Nothing," I lied. I looked her eyes as she stared at me.

"What?" I asked.

"I have been trying to protect you from everything going on," Mika said. "I didn't want to tell you that your sister died." Oh yes. That did happen. Nee-san's mail kept coming to our apartment. I couldn't figure out why. Mika would be the one to handle it. I tried to call nee-san weeks earlier, but she didn't pick up. I didn't think much about it because she worked all the time. Then, some of her old coworkers called asking me if had heard from her. I told them I haven't. Still, I didn't think anything was wrong.

That was until Mika told me the truth.

The news just hit me worse than a ton of bricks. Nee-san and I were not that close, but she was still my sister. You have to care about family. I didn't know how to take it. I was so stunned that I wandered out of the apartment. I didn't even hear Mika calling out to me. I didn't stop walking around through the streets of Ikebukuro. A car could've come by and hit me and I wouldn't be fazed by it.

That was the last thing I remember up until now.

I held Mika tight in my arms. "Mika…"

"What?" she asked.

"What will you do if I get my memories back?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said in a quiet voice.

"Would you try and erase my memories in some way?" I asked. Mika lowered her eyes. She mumbled something under her breath, but I didn't catch it.

"What did you say?" I asked. Mika let go of me and started backing away.

"Mika?" I asked. She turned and walked down the hall. I was left standing alone in the living room. The door closed down the hall.


	7. Madoka

Chapter Seven: Madoka:

-Madoka-

I got away from her now.

Grandma lied to me all of this time? Not only that, she made grandpa sick all of this time. She can't keep the truth from me anymore. I fear to know what she would've done to me if she discovered that I remembered my time in Chou Mori. I pushed those thoughts out of my head and tried to focus on my situation at hand.

I left home and stayed in a capsule hotel over the past few days. I have been looking at small apartments to live in. I've had some help from Naomi-san.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked me in a coffee shop.

"I couldn't stay in the apartment with any longer," I said. I grew angry just thinking about grandma. I took in a slow breath.

"I'm sorry," I said. Naomi-san patted my hand.

"It's okay," she whispered. I nodded.

"Where do you want to live?" Naomi-san asked.

"I want stay in Ikebukuro," I said.

"Okay."

"I want something I can afford. I am still in school."

"Understood."

We began our search through the papers. I had picked up a part time job to help pay for part of the rent. I still had money from my grandparents. I had been saving up over the past few days. I haven't told anyone outside of our little group that I ran away from home. I won't go back there. I have been ignoring her calls. I might just go ahead and block her number. Grandpa won't come home because he's scared of his own wife.

"Naomi-san, can I have a moment?" I asked.

"Of course," she said.

"Thank you," I said. I bowed my head and got up from the table. I just had to get before I got myself angry again. Grandma doesn't even know about the powers I have. I walked into the bathroom and locked myself into a stall. I looked up at the ceiling. I could see every little detail above my head. To be honest, my eyes don't hurt as much as I use my powers. I don't even wear my glasses anymore. Just wish that all of those guys in my classes would stop hitting on me.

Suddenly, my phone rang again. I groaned as I pulled it out of my bag. Sure enough, it was grandma again. I declined the call once again. There's nothing she can say that will change my mind. I can't go back and pretend everything is normal. Tandeki stripped that all away from me. They haven't stopped either. I don't like what they are planning to do with us.

_Are you feeling okay?_

_No._

_If you want to talk I am here for you._

I sighed and shook my head. It wouldn't do any good. I feel like I would just be blue in the mouth at this point.

_No, I'm fine. I'm coming back now._  I took a breath and walked out of the bathroom.


	8. Saki

Chapter Eight: Saki:

-Saki-

I can't tell Masaomi about the visions that I have been having. He's already upset and calling me every day as it is. Telling him the truth will make it worse. But, I can't deny it anymore.

I have died before.

I might die again.

I saw it many times. I have been stabbed, shot, beaten, poisoned, tortured, and strangled. The worst thing is I can feel what's being done to me. The knife going into my body several times. The bullets ripping through my body. Every fist and kick in my body. The hands around my neck. Every cigarette burn against my skin. I feel everything.

It's comforting when Masaomi-kun calls me. Until I started to have the visions, I couldn't understand why he sounded so worried. I would have to be the one to calm him down. Now, I have to try and pretend that everything is fine. This will not hold for long. He has to know that I know I will be killed.

But if I tell him, he's going to try and stay with me more. He's already got so much on his mind.

Masaomi-kun has been at Mikado's place for months now. He only comes to stay with me for a few days before heading back. I see him always checking his phone when he's away from Mikado's apartment.

"Is he okay?" I asked Masaomi one day.

"No," he said. "He won't be okay until this mess is over." Masaomi turned his head and looked at me.

"It's really bad," he said in a low voice. He never tells me anything other than that.

"Then go back to him," I said. Masaomi had a look of terror in his eyes.

"I can't do that," he said. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me," I told him. My words fail to convince him. I rested my hand on his shoulder.

"I will be fine," I insisted. "Mikado needs you more than me." He opened his mouth, but I put his finger his lips.

"Just go," I said. He lowered his eyes and dropped his shoulders. I hated to do this to him, but he can't seem to win either way. I can tell that he wishes that there were two of him.

"Fine, I will go back tomorrow," Masaomi said. I pulled him into my arms. Suddenly, I had another vision.

But this one was different.

I had opened the door one night. I thought it was Masaomi. He had promised to come by and check on me again. I happily opened the door… only to have knife plunged deep into my chest. Before I fell, I got a good look at who my killer was. The knife went into my chest eight more times. I could feel the blade enter my chest as the blood sprayed everywhere. I tried to speak, but my voice came out hoarse. Tears ran down my cheeks.

Masaomi stood over me with a smirk on his face.


	9. Shizue

Chapter Nine: Shizue:

-Shizue-

I do not understand him. He won't leave me. Why won't he let me die?

Sota just sits there across from me looking like an emperor. The living room could be spinning in spirals, but he would be sitting still. I want to smack the smug look off of his face.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Someone who doesn't want you to die," he said. I wrinkled my nose.

"But why?" I asked.

"You shouldn't throw your life away so easily," Sota said. Who does he think he is? He doesn't know me. Why would he even know what my problems are? He's starting to creep me out.

"I am not trying to," Sota spoke up. I gave him an odd look.

"I didn't say anything," I said.

"You didn't need to. I have seen that look before."

I gave him a strange look. "What do you mean?" Sota turned his head away. He muttered something under his breath.

"What did you say?" I asked.

"Nothing," he lied. Sota smacked himself in the cheeks and forced himself to smile. "So, what are we doing today?" I gave him such a strange look. Who was this guy? Sota won't tell me anything about himself. All of the girls flocked to him, but he doesn't pay any attention to them. He even turned me down when I had the same look of those girls that laid eyes on him.

"No way," Sota told me. "You and I are not happening." I frowned at him as I puffed up my cheeks. He didn't have to say it like that. Not like I actually wanted anything to happen. Each if I did, Sota didn't have to be a jerk about it.

Still, he's hanging around with me.

"Don't you have any other friends to hang around?" I asked.

"Sort of," Sota said.

"What do you mean 'sort of'?" I asked. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"It's kind of hard to explain," he said. I opened my mouth, but he put up his hand.

"Let's just leave it at that," I said. That's how it always ends up when I try to ask him questions. Each time, I want to scream like crazy. Why is he trying to keep me alive, but won't tell me anything about himself?

"I told you, you shouldn't throw your life away," Sota said.

"Will you stop saying that?" I asked. He shrugged and gave me that annoying smile. Why does that emperor keeping doing this to me?

"Sure," he said. "But I just can't let you die." I didn't know whether to scream or break down crying. That wasn't even the weirdest thing about him either.

Sota acts so weird when we aren't together. One morning, I woke up see him talking to himself in my room. I couldn't make out what he was saying, but it sounded like he was looking for something. Or maybe it was someone. I am too afraid to find out.

All I know is he just won't leave.


	10. Mari

Chapter Ten: Mari:

-Mari-

It's gotten out of hand again. But this time, it's gotten worse.

I don't know how the group has gotten this advanced. It doesn't help that my mom is starting to ask questions. I have been holding her the best that I could. I don't know how long that will last.

"What's the matter, Mari-tan?" Izaya asked in my bed. I frowned at my computer.

"It's all wrong," I muttered.

"Excuse me?" he asked. I shook my head. There's him too. He's still here. Why can't he take a hint to get out of Ikebukuro? Doesn't he know they are going to kill him when they are done with him?

"Izaya," I spoke up.

"Hm?" he asked.

"Why do you stay here in Ikebukuro?" I asked. "Don't you live in Shinjuku?"

"What are you saying?" Izaya asked. I sighed.

"Never mind," I said. I went back decoding that damned program. I don't why they need me still for this. Yoemon-sensei is doing well on his own. (I still get chills when looking at my laptop.) I heard Izaya patting on my bed.

"Come to bed with me, Mari-tan," he whimpered.

"No," I said. I could feel his eyes on my back. This demon knows how to get his way. Sometimes, he doesn't have to try. But, he's fighting a battle he can't win. He must know this by now.

"I'm bored," Izaya complained. Of course you are.

"So why did you come here?" I asked. "You know they have me working on this program."

"I'm just so lonely and bored at home," he said. "Namie's dead and Aoba-kun's no fun."

"And your sister?" I asked. I glanced over my shoulder to see him shrug.

"Kururi-chan has her little friends and Aoba," he reasoned. "Though, I have no idea what she sees in him anyway." He's like a miniature version of you. I wanted to say that, but I shrugged instead.

"You know that we aren't dating, right?" I asked.

"I know," Izaya said. I gave up asking questions. Nothing gets through to him. Surely, he must know what danger he's in. Surely, he must.

I sighed and stopped typing.

"Do you know how much danger you are in?" I finally asked. "They are going to kill you as soon as they get what they want, you know?"

"Yeah," Izaya said, simply. I whipped my head around. He had a cat-like smile on his face as he lay in my bed, naked.

"You can't be serious," I said.

"I am," Izaya said. I looked confused.

"Then… why?" I asked.

"Why what?" he asked.

"Why do you stay here with them?" I asked. "What can you possibly stand to gain with these maniacs?" He just smiled at me and patted the empty side of my bed. I had a feeling that this was going to be where this was headed. I sighed and dropped my shoulders.

"Just give me ten more minutes, okay?" I asked. "I just need to finish up with this part of the code really quick."

"Right," was all he said.


	11. Mikage

Chapter Eleven: Mikage:

-Mikage-

What did that idiot get himself into now?

Izaya has been calling me lately. He talks in hushed tones. I tried to ask him what is going on, but he won't give me a straight answer. If he's not complaining about how Mari-san is blowing him off, he's trying to find out what I'm doing. At first, I thought he was bored. Now, I am starting to think that he's scared of something.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" I asked him one day.

"What are you saying?" Izaya asked. "Can't I talk to a dear friend without any motives?"

"Come on," I said. "I know how you are. What is going on?"

"I have to go," he said.

"Izaya!" I shouted. He had already hung up. I have tried to call him back, but Kururi won't let me through.

"He's not in right now," she tells me.

"Can I leave him a message?" I asked.

"No," she always says. Kurui hangs up before I can say anything else. What is it with her? She always glares at other girls that even look at Izaya too long. Kururi didn't used to be like this. I don't remember when she changed.

My phone rang again.

"Hello?" I asked.

"I apologize for that," Izaya said. I felt myself getting annoyed again.

"Stop playing games here," I said. "What is going on here?" There was a pause on the other line. I braced myself for Izaya to dodge my questions. He seemed to be whispering something the phone.

"What did you say?" I asked.

"Listen, I have to go," he said.

"Izaya!" I shouted. He had already hung up—again. For the next three days, I didn't hear from him. He wasn't in the Dollars chatroom. Nobody had seen him around Ikebukuro. Aoba didn't tell me where he was. (He didn't even look happy to be there.)

"How should I know where he is?" he asked. "He just emailed me instructions to come here and get to work."

"And when was that?" I asked.

"About three nights ago," Aoba said. He wasn't much help. Mari didn't know where he was either.

"When did you say you heard from him last?" she asked.

"About three nights ago," I said. "Why, did something happen to him?"

"I am not sure," Mari said. She moved her to her mouth and started biting on her thumbnail. "I have been so busy with work and Kururi won't tell me anything either."

"Yeah, she claimed that she didn't know where he was either," I said. Mari gave me a strange look.

"You actually talked to her?" she asked. "She wouldn't even open the door for me."

"Yeah, his sister is kind of like that," I said.

"I know," Mari muttered.

* * *

That evening, my phone rang. It was Izaya's number.

"Hello?" I asked.

"So this is who Izaya-san's been communicating with on this phone," a man's voice said on the other line. I froze.

"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Kitano Katsuhiro-sensei. Please to make your acquaintance."


	12. Yukio

Chapter Twelve: Yukio:

-Yukio-

I could practically have any girl I wanted. This was true even before my tadpole powers. But it means nothing if I don't have Itori-chan. We lost contact after we left Chou Mori. Well, it was more after we finished college that we lost contact.

I found her again. I won't lose her this time.

But, that is not the only thing I have to worry about. We keep changing. Changing and drawing more attention ourselves. There was already one demon that tried to kill Mikado. I think they are starting to follow me around too. I had to buy a knife after the first night after that.

I made it back to my apartment and went inside.

"I'm home," I said.

"Welcome home," Itori said from my living room. My mood lightened up as I walked over to her. She sat on my couch with her knees in the cushion.

"Why didn't you open the curtains?" I asked. Itori shrugged and shook her head. Okay then…

"Anything happen here?" I asked.

"No," she said.

"Ah," I said. I sat down next to her. It took begging and pleading for her to stay with me. Even now I am not sure she won't get up and leave me in the middle of the night.

"Did you eat yet?" I asked.

"No," Itori said.

"I will order us something," I said. She doesn't even look up at me. I don't think that she's too happy about this.

"Look, it's better if we all stay together like this under these conditions," I said. Itori glanced over at me.

"We have to find the others," I said.

"Why?" she asked.

"Mikado was nearly murdered last night," I said.

"Oh no," she said. "Is he okay?"

"Yes. But, these demons might be getting bolder now. We need to find the others and stick together as soon as possible." I noticed the disapproving look on her face.

"What?" I asked. Itori shook her head. I put my arm around her shoulders.

"You can talk to me," I whispered. It's always been like this after we got out of Chou Mori. She keeps trying to close out everyone around her. Itori tries to hide her pain with her stylish looks and bright smile. Only, Saori and I have seen the real her.

"You sound just like Saori," Itori said.

"Well, she does have a point," I said. I still have to introduce her to the other tadpoles.

Suddenly, our phones buzzed.

"Hm?" I asked. Itori and I took out our phones and looked at the screens.

"It's Saori," I said. "She said that she found another group of tadpoles." Itori tilted her head.

"More like us?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said. I tapped the screen to reply.

"How many more?" I typed. Itori watched my finger move around on the keyboard before I hint send. It didn't take long for Saori to reply.

"Eight of them," she wrote back. Itori and I looked at each other.


	13. Midori

Chapter Thirteen: Midori:

-Midori-

We are changing again. He's making us have to use our powers to stay alive. Madoka had to stop wearing her glasses because of it. We have to learn how to control our powers as they start to grow and evolve. Mikado can see inner demons with both eyes now.

I can't tell my parents what's going on with me. They already freaked out when I was abducted as a child. Telling them I can control time will make it worse.

I shook my head.

"Are you okay, dear?" mom asked.

"No," I said.

"Dreams again?"

"Yeah." It was more than that, though. It keeps piling up on me. The memories, the stalking, the whispering, the demons, the staring. I haven't even told her about the e-mail message I got.

Mom put her hand on mine. I jerked my head upwards. That old concern look in her eyes made my heart ache.

"We can go home if you want," she said. I shook my head.

"Are you sure?" mom asked. I nodded one. She slowly drew back her hand.

"Alright," she said.

"Thank you," I said. A waiter came by our table. I would say that he looked about my age, maybe a little bit older. His cheeks turned bright pink as he stared at me. Did I attract another one again? I reached up and started waving in his face. I cleared my throat aloud. The waiter came back to earth.

"Oh!" he said. "Ladies, are you ready to order?"

"Yeah," mom said. "I will have Classic Spaghetti with meat sauce."

"I'll have the pizza Margherita," I said. The waiter took down our orders and took up our menus. I turned back to mom.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" I asked. Her cheeks turned bright red.

"I'm seeing someone," she said. My eyes widened as my jaw dropped.

"Who?" I asked. My mom tried not to giggle.

"You remember that coworker I told you about?" she asked.

"The geeky one that is so nice to you?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. "We have been dating for three weeks now."

"Wow, congratulations," I said. "I'm so happy for you." My mom's cheeks turned red.

"Thanks," she said in a soft voice. The waiter came by our table with a big bottle of wine.

"Um… excuse me, we didn't order this," I said.

"I know," the waiter said. "It's compliments of the bartender to the pretty ladies at table eight." I looked over at the bar. There was the bartender looking at me blushing.

"Oh," I said. "Tell him I said thanks, I guess." The waiter nodded and walked over to the bar.

"Wow, the staff here is really nice to us today," my mom said.

"Yeah…" I said uneasily. I tried to laugh off the unwanted attention. Suddenly, I heard a low whisper in my ear. Their words made my blood run cold. I will never forget what they said.

_I will kill your mother._


	14. Kururi

Chapter Fourteen: Kururi:

-Kururi-

This is so lame. I am stuck baby-sitting this dorky girl. The only reason we're hanging around with her is because the stupid teacher begged me to.

I sighed.

It can't be helped, I guess. She could be useful, at least. I invited Chiyomi out to hang out with me this Saturday. I waited for her in Starbucks. (Aoba had to work this morning. I think Nii-san's trying to keep us apart. I don't understand why they don't like each other. I hope that they do some day.) I sat in the booth and started texting my girls. She's late. Chiyomi is always late. We will have to work on that. Such a pain.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" I heard a girl's voice say. I looked up from my phone. Chiyomi stood in front of me, panting. I forced myself to smile.

"Not a problem," I lied. "Please. Take a seat."

"Thank you, Kurui-sama," Chiyomi said, bowing. I put up my hand.

"Please, just call me Kururi," I said.

"Oh, sorry," she said in a small voice. Chiyomi sat down across from me. Everything about her annoys me. Doesn't she ever keep her hair straight? So many freckles on her cheeks. What is with her teeth?

"Listen," I said. "You shouldn't let yourself get pushed around like this. You are a nice and pretty girl." Chiyomi had an uneasy look on her face.

"Oh…" she said. I gently took her hand.

"We are friends," I said. "Let me help you." She stared at me with big eyes. She clearly has been bullied for a long time. She probably expected to be let down again.

"Okay…" Chiyomi said in a small voice as she tried not to make eye contact. I gave her a strange look.

"Are you… crying?" I asked. She reached up and wiped away her tears.

"That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me!" Chiyomi wailed. I rolled my eyes.

"Stop crying," I said. "You're making scene."

"I'm sorry," she whimpered. I handed her a napkin. Chiyomi wiped away her tears and snot. Good lord. I've got my work cut for me, don't I? I don't know how Nii-san does it.

"Better?" I asked. Chiyomi slowly nodded.

"Are you free for the rest of the day?" I asked. Her green eyes lit up brighter than a tree at Christmas.

"I'm free all day!" Chiyomi was quick to say.

"Shhh," I said. "Not so loud." She lowered her head.

"Sorry," she whispered. I have my work cut out for me. But, I know the risk will be worth the reward.

"Say, do you have anyone you are interested in?" I asked. Chiyomi face turned bright red as she cleared her throat.

"Well… there is someone," she admitted. I smiled at her like a cat. Finally, there something I work with.

"What is their name?" I asked. Chiyomi looked around really quick before she motioned me to come closer. I leaned in with a curious look on my face. When she said it, something clicked in my brain. Things just became more interesting.


	15. Aoba

Chapter Fifteen: Aoba:

-Aoba-

This is just humiliating. How the hell did I end up working for that asshole? Izaya looks down at me with that smug look on his face. I want to punch him so badly. That wouldn't make much of a difference though, would it?

I have to get up on Saturdays and Sundays and head over to Izaya's apartment in Shinjuku. He will email me a list of things to do. Heh, is he too good to talk to me on the phone? At least he gave me a key to get in. How did it come to this?

I unlocked the door and went inside. There was no one inside. Typical. He's lucky that I am "dating" his sister. (I still can't get over the fact that Kururi is my girlfriend.) Speaking of which, I don't like what she is planning to do with Chiyomi. I shouldn't care, but this isn't the Kururi that I know. She's turned into a monster. She's even worse than Izaya.

I shuddered thinking about it.

I still don't have a way to get Mairu back. I can't find anyone who remembers her at all. Sometimes, I think that I see her around Ikebukuro. But then, it turns out to be someone else. Kururi's so-called "friends" keep making jokes about it. I wish I can at least find one person who still remembers Mairu.

What do I have to do today? I looked at the text that Izaya sent me. Just the same old things that I did last weekend. I rolled my eyes. Sometimes, I think he just gives me pointless tasks to annoy me. But, I do get a little bit of money out of it. It's not that much though. Why does that asshole have to be so cheap? Whatever.

I was about to walk over to Izaya's computer when my phone rang.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Good morning!" Izaya said over the phone in a voice that made me want to scream. "Have you made it inside yet?" I rolled my eyes. What, is going to start checking up on me now?

"Yes," I groaned. "I am inside."

"Good, listen closely to me," he said. "I will be going away for a little while."

"Like on vacation?" I asked.

"No," he said. The way Izaya said that caught my attention.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I can't tell you," he said. "You don't need to know. I will send you a list of instructions you need to do for the next few weeks. I will have someone to cover your payments."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I will talk about it later," Izaya said. He hung up before I could ask any more questions. Okay, that was weird. And rather annoying. I shoved my phone back into my pocket and got to work.

Three weeks later, I didn't hear from Izaya. I asked Kururi if he was okay and she said that she didn't know.

I do not have a good feeling about this.


	16. Vorona

Chapter Sixteen: Vorona:

-Vorona-

I always go down to Yagiri Pharmaceuticals every Saturday. I try not to make eye contact with anyone in the mornings. How could this have happened? How could Shizuo be taken down like that so easily? We were only gone for a few moments and he was kidnapped and turned into that. By the time we found him, he had a bull head on his head and his body was covered in injuries. There was a dead woman lying on the floor of that basement bar. We couldn't get that bull head off of his head. Egor and three other men ended up taking Shizuo away somewhere.

A couple walk by me, but we don't make eye contact. It isn't just Shizuo that I am worried about. Something about the city doesn't feel right. The children try not to look at any walking by them. They carry their little orange lanterns with them. I keep hearing whispering behind me. Slon have been acting creeped out because of it. I tried to ignore it.

I had to get Tom to tell me where they were keeping Shizuo. He didn't want to say anything at first.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

"I have to see him," I said in a low voice. I couldn't explain why. Tom showed sympathy on me and gave me the address.

I stood at the gates of Yagiri Pharmaceuticals. I could feel something really bad just by standing here. Everything was so silent around the building. Was this place ever this dark? I walked up to the call box on the gate. I pressed the button.

"Hello?" the operator asked.

"It's me," I said. "I came to see him." The gates opened and I walked through. I couldn't shake the feeling of someone watching me. Now, I have never believed in ghosts or demons. All of my books that I read have disproved them time and again. But, I might have to rethink everything that I know the more I come down to see him. How can they keep him in this place?

I kept my head down as I walked up to the doors. The guards searched me before they let me in. Already, I felt cold when I walked inside. They claim that it is not the air conditioning kept at this low level. I couldn't help but wonder otherwise. I shook the thought from my head and walked down the hall.

"Good morning," the receptionist said with chattering teeth. I waved her off as I walked by. The lobby was so cold that I could see my breath. The strangest thing was that the basement was never this cold.

I made it into the elevator. The cold followed me inside as I rode down to the basement. I couldn't let him suffer like this anymore. He's in so much pain. I have to end it. The elevator doors opened when it reached the basement. I kept my knife well-hidden in my pants.


	17. Kadota

Chapter Seventeen: Kadota:

-Kadota-

I have no idea what is going on. I have been seeing strange things around work. Not just there too. It's all over the city. There is Celty, Shizuo, the Dollars, and others thing already. But, this is different.

I have a bad feeling.

I had noticed it for quite some time, but after Seiji went missing, I couldn't keep quiet anymore. Plus, apparently Mikado is a tadpole. He freaked out when Seiji started asking questions. Masaomi had to go between him and Chiharu. Speaking of Chiharu, she just licked up my blood from off the ground out of nowhere. She looked like a wild animal when she was done. No one dared to move. Anri was about to walk over and touch her.

"Don't!" Mika shouted. Anri took a step back and turned her head. Chiharu started panted like an injured beast. I really couldn't figure out what was going on.

The next day felt so quiet. I couldn't get out everything that I heard and seen from last night. When I got up, something told me not to open the curtains in my room. I couldn't be certain about the reason why.

Then, my phone rang.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Kadota-san?" a woman's voice asked on the other line. Despite her voice coming through in a whisper, I already knew who it was. Even so, a confused look came over my face.

"Non?" I asked. "What's the matter? Why are you whispering like this?" She paused for a moment.

"I think something is wrong with Rocchi," Non said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"It's hard to say, but I don't think he's been himself lately," she said. "Um… I can I meet up with you somewhere?"

"Okay, sure," I said.

"Thank you so much," Non whispered. There was another pause over the line. "He's coming back now. I have to go." She hung up before I could get in another word. I looked at my phone. Weird…

My phone rang again.

"Hello?" I asked again. All I could hear on the other line was static.

"Hello?" I asked a third time. Somebody tried to speak through the static, but I couldn't make out who it was.

"I can't hear you," I said. "Who is this?" The voice turned into to screaming over the static.

"What are you saying? Who are you?" I asked as I struggled to listen. The line went dead. I was about to try to redial the number when my phone rang again.

"Hello?" I asked. This time, I got a clicking noise over the phone. That was followed by static, something like a death rattle, and then the line went dead again. I stared at my phone. Usually, I would've just chalked this up to being a prank call and forgetting about it. But something about this last two calls didn't feel right. Was it a wrong number? Was it even the same person?

My phone buzzed and this time it was a text from Saburo.


	18. Aoi

Chapter Eighteen: Aoi:

-Aoi-

What am I doing?!

I sat at my laptop with old files of Chou Mori Institution on my screen. I shouldn't have taken that job. But, I needed the money. The budget has been kind of tight lately. Satsu's job wasn't covering the bills lately.

"Let me help you," I told her. She held me by the cheeks.

"You are so sweet," Satsu-chan said. "I think I can handle this." I wanted to believe her. I really did. But, it wouldn't be so bad to have more money coming in. Because of that, I started looking for jobs in secret. I had always been good with computers. Maybe I could get some minor computer work from our dorm. I did find short little jobs here and there. I made decent amounts of money. Still, it didn't feel like it was enough.

Then, I came across an ad on the public form.

The client wanted information on missing people. When I read the description, my interest was piqued. I clicked on the link. Let's see. We are looking for former Chou Mori Institution patients. They have to have stayed from 1989 to 2013. You do not have to contact them. Just give us the address and we will talk to them ourselves.

I stared at the screen for about twenty minutes. The ad looked rather vague. The client didn't list their name. I didn't think anything of it at first as I scrolled down. I had heard of Chou Mori. You would have to be really, really little to not know about the horrors of this place. After hearing the rumors, I am glad they shut it down. I am only sorry it took them that long to do it.

Anyway, I digress.

I clicked respond and began typing up my proposal. I kept it short and sweet to the point. Being long-winded never helps with job-hunting like this. I read over my message and hit send. Now to wait.

To my surprise, I got a reply back right away. I about jumped on my bed. I opened the email and started reading. The email was short and to the point. The client asked a couple of questions about my skills. I answered them with confidence. A short back and forth ensued and then I got a job.

Everything started out simple with my research. I chased down new articles and rumors. I wanted to get familiar with the history before I got to work. Satsu couldn't complain about my search history. She's still watching videos on DeathVine. Chou Mori's history… whew buddy! Horror movies would have a field day with these stories. So much abuse and neglect of patients. Even some of the staff members tried to commit suicide. This went on for five decades? Satsu would probably make me slow down so she could read them. Before I knew it, I fell down the rabbit hole. I wished it would've stopped there. Because then I would've been sucked up in this mess too.


	19. Masaomi

Chapter Nineteen: Masaomi:

-Masaomi-

We had to come out and explain the truth to everyone. That annoying had to try and kill Mikado after that other demon was exercised from Seiji. This couldn't have happened at the worst time. Chiharu ended up licking up the blood off of ground. We didn't get time to act, however.

"He called you a tadpole," Seiji said. "What does that mean?" Mikado's eyes widened as he started to tremble. He so scared as he grabbed onto my arm. I stood, struggling for an answer. I promised that I would stay by Mikado's side and try to save him from this game that he keeps talking about. Anri coming along to help me made things much easier. I could go back and forth between Mikado and Saki when I needed to.

"Oh shit," I muttered. We had to tell everyone thing. Actually, Celty did most of typing on her PDA and with her shadows. Mikado could barely speak. I tried to fill in the blanks, but I couldn't understand it myself. I don't know what is going to happen next, but we have another problem on our hands.

Or rather, I have another problem on my hands.

I am starting to have visions again. I had this one last night. I found myself sitting in a police interrogation room. I thought moments before, I was at Mikado's apartment again. We might have been asleep when there was a knock on the door. I opened it and found a police officer standing outside. He wanted to see me and asked me to come with him down to station. We didn't know what was going on. I went with them quietly.

"What's going on?" Anri asked. I shook my head uncertain. I sat that police interrogation room for what felt like hours. I looked up when I heard the door open. A detective in a white shirt and brown pants walked inside. I couldn't hear what we were saying to each other. But I did know what he was talking about.

"We have you on camera walking up to your girlfriend's apartment," he said. "Just tell the truth!" Only, they weren't sure it was me. They had the footage of a guy walking up the stairs to my apartment. From behind it looked like me. Put from the front and side, the camera would glitch out, blocking out the face. I told him I was with my friends last night. I wasn't sure that he believed me or not. I couldn't look at the bloody crime scene photos of Saki. I think about threw up when I saw pictures of her face beaten in. She had been stabbed several times. It wasn't enough for the killer to stab her. They had to bash her face in because they that she was too pretty even in death.

I still shutter when I think about it. I don't know if this is all real or not. It would be foolish to think not.


	20. Kitano

Chapter Twenty: Kitano:

-Kitano-

It is time for us to advance forward. Junko-sensei has gotten F back. The Tadpole project is progressing nicely. We only have one more gate left. This is farthest we've come in the game. Still, we can't rest. We have just come out of phase two and just started on phase three.

Plus, I still have other problems that I have to deal with.

There are still the other gangs that can catch on and try to stop us. We've already killed off the Blue Squares. Aya-sensei took things further when she killed the Red Demon of the Awakusu. It's still not enough. The others need to be stamped out soon. We can't act too quickly. It will draw too much attention. The last thing we need is to have the police on our hands. I have been in an interrogation room. It's a waste of time. I don't want to have to through that again.

I have been keeping track of everything unfolding so far. I have to in order to make sure this game goes right. Meanwhile, I have to see watch over Vozrozhdeniye and Mam trying to take the lead. They both want my precious pets for their own motive. I will not let this happen. They aren't my only problem.

When you become a parent, you learn the psychology of children. Ever since I became a father, I have learned the tricks and lies that my daughters tell. Because of this, I can tell when Izaya-san is up to something. He sings praises about his love for humans. Now, why would someone who loves humans so much be signed on to this game? Etsuko-sensei had a feeling that Izaya-san had ulterior motives for joining us.

"We can't trust him," she told me. She's right. I keep him around because he is just a child. A child that cannot be trusted to run around with a pair of scissors. Children can be dangerous when left unchecked. I know this because I am a parent after all.

As you can guess, Izaya is a loose end in this game. We can't trust him but he is not stupid to act right now. We will dispose of him when the time is right. I do have an idea of who he's working for. To be honest, I have to applaud his boss. He's actually trying to undo this game from the future. I didn't expect him to commit to his mission.

I laughed to myself.

I didn't think this game was going to get more interesting this time.

Suddenly, I heard my phone buzzing from desk drawer. I opened the top drawer and reached inside. Ah, will you look at that? I got up and walked across the room. H pushed in the access code and walked inside. And sure enough, the Heartseed started to glow a light green. Which drug is that again? I pulled out my leather notebook and looked through the pages.

Ah, this should be interesting.


	21. Mikado

Chapter Twenty-One: Mikado:

-Mikado-

They know my secret now.

"He called you a tadpole. What does that mean?" Seiji asked. I froze, the words choked up in my throat. Masaomi held me while Celty had to explain everything. This was it. Would they all hate me and start to kill me? I felt like I was going to faint. There was so much going on on that roof. Hashimoto-san finally gave into her hunger. They all knew my secret. An amanojaku tried to kill me. Seiji was possessed by a demon. There was so much around me that I thought I was going to faint.

That's not the only problem I have on my hands.

Yes, there was the issue with Anri.

Lately, I don't have the need to sleep anymore. This has left my alone in my thoughts while Sonohara-san and Masaomi are asleep in my apartment. I don't like it. Especially when I am starting to remember more things. Not just Chou Mori. But… My stomach turns as I say this… my conquests.

Oh god.

A pair hands rubbed on my shoulders. I couldn't mistake the smell of that perfume if I tried.

"Good evening," a woman's voice purred in my ear. My body went stiff.

"What are you doing here, Cheri-san?" I asked. I could see her looking at me out of the corner of my eye. She smiled like a hungry fox.

"I heard you aren't a virgin anymore," she said. When she said that, I began to remember all of the girls I had slept with. Now, I am not like Yukio-san or Rokujo-san. I was not in a good place at the time.

"Don't," I said, pushing Cheri away.

"Aw, what's the matter?" she asked. "You can't undo what you did. This wasn't the first time you took her flower, you know." I shut down my computer.

"Don't remind me," I muttered. Each encounter played back in my head. The more I think about them, the more I shudder.

"Why are you even here?" I asked.

"Aw, yes," Cheri said. "First as you have seen, there are demons that are trying to kill you." I looked up at her, frowning.

"Is that it?" I asked.

"No, there will be more," she said. "Just be on your guard."

"Thank you," I said. Judging by the smile on her face, I could tell that she wanted to say something sexual. I sighed and dropped my shoulders.

"Go on, spit it out," I said. Cheri repressed a giggle.

"You know me well, don't you?" she asked. She leaned forward, tucking her light purple hair behind her ear.

"I know you are still green, but darling, your technique in bed could use some work," Cheri said in a low voice. My face turned bright red.

"That's okay, I can help you," she said. I frantically shook my head.

"No way!" I said. "You are not going to try that one on me again." Cheri just waved me off.

"No, no, I'm going to do all of that," she said. "Just turn on the computer and I will show you."


	22. Tetsu

Chapter Twenty-Two: Tetsu:

-Tetsu-

I barely sleep anymore. Because of that, I get up and go to the late-night theater and watch movies. I slip out of the apartment and go walking. I don't like it. What did he do to us this time?

I walked up to the ticket booth. The woman behind the glass didn't look at me.

"One please," I said. I slid across my money. She took it and gave me another ticket. I bowed and walked inside. This was how my nights became. Lying asleep in bed night after night was going to do it anymore. Watching Taichi sleep didn't help. So one night, I just got up, got dressed, and headed inside.

Tonight, it's another old samurai film. These are the only types of movies playing this late at night. The newer stuff plays at other theaters in the areas. Somehow, I don't feel those will help in my case. I walked into screen room three. My usual seat is near the exit in the back. Once I sat down, I let myself get lost in my mind. I never really watch the movie. I'm just passing time until morning. I never get tired either.

But tonight, I am not alone.

In the middle of old trailers from the 1950's, I heard the door open as quietly as possible. Footsteps shuffled in and stopped next to my seat. The chair to my right creaked down and someone flopped down into it. I didn't sense anything from them. Not tadpole or a demon. Just a plain old normal.

Then, the movie started.

"You come out here at night too, huh?" a voice whispered. I didn't turn my head. Maybe it was a guy or a girl.

"Yeah," I said nodding. The title card came up.

"Are you afraid to come here alone at night?" they asked.

"No," I said.

"But you could die out here. Because of them."

I looked out of the corner of my eye. I couldn't really see the face. I still couldn't sense anything about them. Should I attack them or run?

"Who are you?" I whispered.

"Tell who you are."

"Why?"

"Just tell me."

I focused my eyes back to the screen. "Tell me who you are first."

"Nobody. I am nobody."

"Okay… I'm Tetsu." I thought that it would end there. I tried to focus on the black and white fight on the screen. Still, I could still feel the eyes locked on me.

"What do you want from me?" I asked.

"I just want your story," they said.

"My story?"

"Tell me everything about yourself." The tone of the voice sent up a red flag in my head. There was something almost robotic about it. Like it sounded rehearsed in a way. The worst part was I couldn't pin down the motivation. I didn't sense any evil from them. But, I doubted there was any good will behind it either.

"Can I please just watch the movie?" I asked. I got no response for the rest of the night.


	23. Walker

Chapter Twenty-Three: Walker:

-Walker-

Mikado is a tadpole? Erika was right. She kept going on about how cute he had gotten lately. Saburo, Kadota, and I didn't see it. He looked the same as he had been. This would explain everything. He's some super being now? It's just like a manga!

There's something happening around the city. Everyone is trying to figure out what it is. I think it might be demons. Kadota and Saburo won't talk about it. I wonder who the other tadpoles are. The guy in the video said that they looked like normal people. Erika and I have been starting to look for the others. Speaking of which, Mikado has been trying to avoid us. I think he's afraid of us.

"Is he okay?" I asked Masaomi three days after Mikado was attacked.

"Not really," he said.

"Still scared of us, huh?" Erika asked. Masaomi nodded once. I don't understand why Mikado is afraid of us. Nothing has really changed. We're all still friends. Okay, so Erika and I want to ask Mikado many questions.

"Just leave him alone," Kadota said.

"Aw, Dotachin, why?" Erika complained.

"He's clearly scared of all of us," he said. "We just need to give him some space for a little bit before we can help him." I know that he's right, but Erika and I have so many questions.

Mikado's not the only thing that I have questions.

I think am I am starting to see ghosts. I am not the only one either. Saburo is refusing to acknowledge it. Erika and I keep comparing it to all of the favorite horror manga we have been reading. Speaking of which, we keep buying more horror anime and manga. I nearly had to fight another otaku for one of the volumes. I would've stabbed him if Erika hadn't stepped in time. The other guy stared at me so confused. It was like we were under a trance for a moment there. I don't even remember what I said to start our fight. I think I tried to bite the guy's ear off too. He ended up running off with terror in his eyes.

"What's gotten into you?" Erika asked. I didn't know how to answer. We were able to get the manga and leave without any more problems. It wasn't just me either. More people seem to be getting violent around stores lately. I even heard that one girl practically beat another girl to death over a pair of shoes. That would've been me today if Erika hadn't stepped in. I walked away with a bloody mouth and bruises. She's decided to keep a closer eye on me from now on.

I am fine. Really, I am. Erika doesn't believe me, though.

I don't know what it is with me lately. I feel like I want to burn more things more often. So far, Erika has been the one to talk me out of it. I have no idea how long that will last.


	24. Child

Chapter Twenty-Four: Child:

-Child-

She has no name. She doesn't remember who her family is. She has no home. This child only knows that she has to get to Ikebukuro before it's too late. She can't remember why. Something was at steak if she didn't.

The child barely talks. But she sure eats a lot. The man at the ramen shop debated on calling the police to report her. However, he didn't know how to explain the situation. The man gave up on trying to get her to talk. Was she mute? Did she understand any Japanese? The child didn't look like she was Japanese.

For now, she was hidden in the kitchen until after hours.

Tonight, she's not alone in her head. She has dreams there is a tall mirror in the darkness. It speaks to her. She can't really hear the voice. She doesn't know what it is saying. She couldn't see who was in the mirror. Who was reaching out to her? What did they want from her? Was this why she had to get to Ikebukuro?

"What happened to your eye?" the nice man asked in real life. The child put her hand to her right eye. She seemed to understand him. But, she also didn't seem to have an answer.

"You can't stay here, you know?" the cook asked. The child looked at him, silent.

"Do you have anywhere else to go?" he asked. Silence. Someone had to have reported her missing. But there were no children around Tokyo reported missing. That didn't make any sense. Someone had to have been missing a daughter somewhere.

The man already made up his mind to call the police. He waited until the early hours of the morning before he had to open the shop. The cook looked down to see the little girl sound asleep on the kitchen floor. Once he was sure that she was asleep, he slipped into the back of the alley and made the call.

"119, what is your emergency?" the operator asked.

"Um… I have a lost child in my restaurant," the man said. "She's been with me for a couple weeks now."

"Do you know anything about her?" the operator asked.

"No," he said. "She doesn't seem to know anything about herself either. I tried talking to her, but she won't give me any answers."

"Is she hurt in anyway?"

"Except for a large scar on her right eye, no. Not from what I saw."

"Where is the child now?"

"In my kitchen at the Lucky Noodle shop. I'm in Shinjuku. I have a giant crane sign on top of the front. You can't miss it."

"Okay, we will send police on the way."

"Thank you so much. I will try to keep her here until then." The cook hung up and took a breath.

"Right," he said to himself. The cook turned and walked back inside. He had convinced himself that he did the right thing.

* * *

Meanwhile, the child started to have another vision.


	25. Shiki

Chapter Twenty-Five: Shiki:

-Shiki-

It doesn't make any sense.

Who is this Tandeki Group? So far, we know about the basics about the inner circle. Two of them are therapists, one is a doctor, and the other two seem to lab techs of some sort. (One of them is at least. I am not sure what Myojin-san is just yet. Also, Kitano-sensei used to be a doctor too.) Everything about them looked so clean. Too clean.

Then, there is the fact that some of the members used to work for Chou Mori. Everyone knew about the horrors of that place. There had been rumors of human experimentation going on behind the scenes. The more we dig up, the clearer the picture becomes. The earliest we have managed to find is in 1989. Until then, everything had been minor. The staff cut corners for budget cuts. Most of the problems did tie back to money.

I turned the page in the notes.

These human experimentations were something else. We Yakuza are used to blood and death. But what they did to these patients…

I shuddered.

It almost amazes me that they kept this hidden for years. Almost. There were investigations into Chou Mori, but they never went far enough. The staff didn't seem to care either. The experiments stopped when Chou Mori shut down in 2013. Or that's what the official reports say.

Kazamoto is still looking for information on Rampo Biotech. I don't know how this all connects to Akabayashi's death yet. The cause of death is still undetermined. I managed to hold of the autopsy report. (Crooked cops on the inside made things easier.) Just looking at confirmed what Celty told me. His organs looked like those of a ninety-year-old man's. Akabayashi's heart just stopped for no reason. Toxicology came back negative as I thought it would. He had no injuries on his body either. But what did this have to do with Tandeki?

My phone rang.

"Hello?" I asked. I could only hear static on the other line as it sounded like someone was yelling in the middle of a storm.

"Hello?" I asked. "Who is this? I can't hear you. Hello? Hello?" The line went dead. I looked at my phone. What the hell was that? That was another thing I noticed. Some of the other executives have been getting the same call too. It's hard to say what it is. I do not like what is about to go down around here. Ever since Akabayashi died, the underbelly has been running amok. The drug dealers have gotten bolder. Plus, there is the Red Rabbit Club.

I rubbed my forehead.

They have been operating on turf for a few years now. Nothing seems to be able to get close to it. Rumors have been circling that they have ben drugging their workers for the clients. In fact, Akabayashi was about to investigate them for doing such things. He said that he was onto something days before his death.

I think they had him killed because of it.


	26. Chiharu

Chapter Twenty-Six: Chiharu:

-Chiharu-

I'm going to lose myself. I don't know what happened. I could smell blood and my mind just snapped. Everything just disappeared around me. The taste of blood was like life-giving water. I had never tasted something so rich before in my life. I had to have more.

Now, I just felt sick.

I sat huddled in my arms, trembling. Aniki won't let me go anywhere. Big mouths Mikado and Masaomi had to tell him what happened. Speaking of which, I do not remember being back in my room. I don't even remember blacking out. I just woke up on my bed with my wrists tied to the top.

The pain had settled down, but it comes back in small waves. I want more blood. I need more. I can't take this anymore.

I broke down screaming as I tried to free myself.

"Shut up!" Tatsuya yelled from across the hall. It won't be long before it takes over me. My trimmers grew worse. Pretty soon, it will be incoherent screaming. I will stop being human after that. I am scared. It didn't help that my old memories were coming back. I thought that part of me died when I escaped my body.

But then that cunt had to bring to back.

The more I struggled to get free, my wrists hurt more. Soon, my body gave out. I lay on my side, panting. I need more blood. The best I could do was fall on the floor from my bed. I couldn't even stand up. I wanted to die. I could hear that s voice ringing in my head.

She did this to me. She's the only reason I am like this. Why wouldn't Mikado and Masaomi kill me? They can't help me. It would've been easier if I had died then and there.

No, I couldn't think like that.

I had to get back at Junko. She was the reason why I was like this. But I will have to do it which I still have my mind. I started panting heavily. There it was again. I need more blood. That first taste was not enough. I need more! My body began writhing around on the floor. Was that me screaming out in pain? I couldn't be sure.

I don't know how much time has passed. I just lay there panting and covered in sweat. When did it get so dark? My hands were still tied together. Why did I have to be tied up like this? I'm not a threat. I'm still here. I haven't lost myself… yet.

But I don't even know how long that will last.

My body hurts again. How long has it been? I could die if I don't get more blood. I have to get out of here and get more. But where am I going to get it? How am I even going to get out of here?

I just heard footsteps. What is it now?

I looked down as the door opened.


	27. Anzu

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Anzu:

-Anzu-

I don't like these new changes. Now, we don't sleep anymore. We don't get tired because of it. I do not enjoy being up all night. We are trying to find ways to fill the night. Tetsu has taken to watching old movies at the theater downtown. Mikado is on his computer all night. Some are looking for other tadpoles like us. Others are trying to find a way to stop the Tandeki Group.

What am I doing?

Kendo has already calmed me down. I easily connect with the sword. It all that I can do for the moment. Sometimes, I switched it up and used my blood to practice with. I frowned when I remembered my own powers.

He's forcing us to use them more. If we don't use our powers, our bodies will rot from the inside and we will die. But if we use our powers, will stand out. We can't win. It didn't help that we are constantly being followed. What were supposed to do now?

My swings grew harder and faster. This was all I could to keep from going crazy. My friends were starting to worry about me.

"What is the matter?" Maiko asked me on a Friday. I had force myself to smile.

"So many things have been happening," I said. I couldn't tell her what was going on with me. She wouldn't understand. Maiko-chan didn't even know about the time I was in Chou Mori. (If you were tortured in a place like that, you wouldn't want to talk about it either. Would you? Didn't think so.) I saw the worried look on her face.

"I can handle it," I lied. "I will be fine."

_Why do you keep lying to her?_

I ignored Sota's voice in my head. Maiko didn't take her eyes off of me. I laughed and rubbed the back of my head.

"Enough about me!" I said. "Are you doing?"

"Fine…" Maiko said, blinking. Her thoughts told me otherwise. I put my hands on her shoulders.

"You don't need to worry about me," I said. "I am going to be fine." I then noticed the stars in her eyes she looked at me. I waved my hand in front of her face.

"Maiko-chan?" I asked. "Hello? Hello? Maiko-chan?" She swallowed back her drool.

"I want more sweets," Maiko-chan said. I drew back my hands as I realized what happened. This happened before. Azusa's power drew my friend to become mini-sweets monster.

"Come on," I said. "Don't go crazy. Stay focused. You are on a diet, remember?" Maiko-chan shook her head.

"Right…" she muttered. "I'm sorry." I sighed. Azusa's power made life more disruptive to us. We can't be touched without anyone's desires increasing. I touched Maiko-chan the first time and she spent the weekend on a sweets binge.

"It's okay," I said. "I am here to get you back on track." It's not much, but this will have to do. Truth is, Maiko-chan is one of the few things left keeping me together.


	28. Mizuho

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Mizuho:

-Mizuho-

I feel like I have been locked out of the loop.

Tatsuya-kun won't tell me anything. I have tried calling him. He usually says that he can't talk now. I haven't seen Chiharu around lately either. Come to think of it, things have been getting weird lately. Children walked around with those orange lanterns. They kept quiet. It creeps me out every time I look at them. Plus, looking up at the sky gave me chills. I could've sworn that I saw eyes looking down at me one day.

I walked up to Tatsuya's apartment and knocked on the door. I paced around as I thought about what I wanted to say. I had to know the truth. What was he keeping from me? Why did he try to avoid me? I happened to look over to my right. A man and a child stood at the door of the apartment. At first, I thought nothing of it. The man was wearing a long black coat despite it being summer. His hat was tilted to the back.

Then, there was the kid.

I couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl. They were playing around with a stuffed white doll that had no face. But, there was that expression on that child's face. There was just… nothing. This kid's eyes looked so dead. No smile or delight as they played with that doll. They didn't look like they were enjoying that doll in their hands. That child looked up at me.

I turned my head when the door opened. Tatsuya stood in the doorframe.

"Hello," I said in a low voice.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I came to see you," I said.

"Why?" Tatsuya asked. I clenched my fists at my sides.

"You barely talk to me anymore! What am I supposed to think?" I asked. I could feel myself shaking.

"I do not have time for this," Tatsuya muttered. He tried to close the door on me, but I stuck my foot inside.

"Hey!" he said.

"Let me in!" I screamed.

"Go away!" Tatsuya shouted. I felt screaming and crying.

"Why do you keep shutting me out?!" I yelled. "I want to help you! Just let me in!"

"No!" Tatsuya shouted. He tried to push me out, but I managed to force myself in. I could not believe what I saw on the living room floor. Chiharu sat in the corner, trembling and looking disheveled. She looked like heroin addict the way she bit on her hand. All of the color was drained from her skin. Her shirt hung off of her right shoulder. She had her knees to her chest. Never had I seen her eyes look so vacant. My jaw dropped.

"What happened to her?" I asked. Tatsuya sighed and flopped down on the couch.

"I don't really know myself," he said. "Mikado and Masaomi didn't fully explain anything to me when they brought her home." I walked over and sat down with him. I couldn't walk away now.


	29. Naomi

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Naomi:

-Naomi-

I have always been the one to take care of everyone. I don't mean it, actually. In high school, I wanted to be a social worker. I am still studying to be one, but I am also taking care of my "brothers and sisters" too now.

I sat on my bed, looking out the window. A pair of strong arms wrapped around my shoulders. I stroked the hand.

"Kenji?" I asked. I turned to see a young man blushing at me.

"Did you want something?" I asked. He shook his head. I gave him a little smile. It's been peaceful like this for three years. I don't understand what Kenji sees in me. I mean, he could have any girl he wants. But he chose me that first year we met.

However, he doesn't know about my powers, yet. I'm too afraid to tell him.

"Are you okay?" Kenji asked.

"Yeah," I said. It hurt to lie to him like this. How could I expect him to understand? I can't even tell him about my time at Chou Mori. My stomach turned. I spent years trying to bury that time in my life.

I had a normal life until I was at least fourteen or fifteen at the time. The details of how I ended up at Chou Mori were still hazy. I do know it was a birthday party for my crush at the time. Ever since I was twelve, I had a crush on this boy who was a year and grade older than me. All of the girls at my school liked him. When he spoke, he made you feel like you were the only person in the room. I wanted to talk to him at least, but I never had the courage.

Then one day before summer, I found a party invitation in my shoe cubby hole. I didn't know what it was first. When I opened it, my eyes widened. I held in my little hands a birthday party invitation from my crush. To be fair, he invited many girls to his party, but that didn't matter to me. All day, I walked around with a goofy smile on my face.

I wore my favorite red dress that day. My aunt did my hair in curls. I wanted to stand out and get his attention.

"You look beautiful," my mom said as I showed off my dress.

"Thank you," I said.

"What time will you be back?" she asked.

"Nine," I said. "I'm going with a friend."

"I'll leave the light on for you," mom said. We hugged before I walked out the door. That would be the last time I would she her that laid back again.

I turned to face Kenji back in present day.

"Actually, I am not really okay," I said. I didn't know why I said that. Maybe I felt telling someone my problems for a change.

"What's the matter?" Kenji asked. Well, too late to turn back now. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.


	30. Chikako

Chapter Thirty: Chikako:

-Chikako-

I have seen ghosts and demons since I was a child. I have seen things that I wished I hadn't.

When I was eleven, I had dream that I was walking down this yellow road. There were no buildings or cars in sight. I didn't know where I was. I tried to scream out, but my voice got lost in the wind. Suddenly, a sea of postcards rained down from the empty gray sky. I caught one of them. This postcard had two images on it back to back. The front had the picture of a little boy. He looked about four years old with fat, rosy cheeks. A held a big stuffed lion to his chest. This boy was really cute. But then, I saw the other image. His little body was lying in a ditch covered in blood.

I would've chalked up to a weird dream if I hadn't seen a missing poster on my way to school the next day. Yes, it was the same little boy from dream. The police didn't even know that he was dead. I ran to school after that. The only person I told was my homeroom teacher. I didn't know why I did that. I guess because I couldn't keep it to myself. To my surprise, he believed me.

"And you are sure you saw him in the ditch?" my homeroom teacher asked.

"Yes," I said.

"I'll see what I can do," he said. Two weeks later, they found that boy's body. His case is still unsolved.

When I was fourteen, I had another dream. I was walking through halls of my school with a girl that I had never seen before. Her long black hair covered her face. She kept her eyes to the floor.

"I'm going to kill myself," this girl said. I stopped with big eyes.

"What?!" I asked. She looked up at me.

"I have tried before and they stopped me," this girl said. "This time, I'm not going to tell anyone. That way that can't stop me." But she was telling someone. She was telling me.

I had hoped it was just another strange dream. But then, I saw her face on the news months later. I told my homeroom teacher before, but he could never find her in time. He spent nights trying to look for a girl matching her description. Her words still haunt even now. I have always had dreams like that when I was growing up.

Then, there is my father.

When I was eight, I saw him walking around with a woman on his shoulders. She looked so pale and always wore red. She was always soaking wet and sitting on his shoulders. Another thing about her I remembered well was the red handprints around her throat. Because of her, my father is serving life in prison.

He killed her.

And now, my visions are starting to come back again. This time, they have become much stronger.


	31. Anri

Chapter Thirty-One: Anri:

-Anri-

I can't leave Mikado-kun, but things have grown awkward between us. He can't even bring himself to look at me. (He did take me to get the morning after pill.) Masaomi has been trying to find out more about what's been going on.

"Has he talked about it since?" he asked.

"No," I said, shaking my head. What was there to say? I can't tell what goes on in Mikado-kun's mind anymore. He's trying too hard to act normal. It's gotten worse since our friends know his secret now.

"We're still here for you," I told him when we got home.

"Sure, of course," Mikado-kun said, nodding. His voice trembled as he spoke. I wanted to walk over and hold him, but he held up his hand.

"Don't… please…" he pleaded. Mikado-kun sat down in the corner and pulled his knees to his chest.

"Let him be," Masaomi whispered. It hurt to see him like this. I don't think I can be much help to him.

"You have to side by his side," Mika said. "He needs you." She is right, but I feel so useless to him. But that's not the only thing I have to worry about.

"What is the matter, Mika?" I asked as we walked to the bookstore. She looked up at me with a confused look on her face.

"What do you mean?" Mika asked.

"You've been quiet since you got Seiji back," I said. "Did something happen between you?" She stopped in her tracks.

"That's not it," Mika said.

"What is it then?" I asked.

"This city will not last much longer," she said. Mika lifted her head. The look in her eyes began to scare me.

"Are you familiar with the Seven Gates of the Apocalypse?" she asked.

"No…" I said. Mika pressed her lips together before speaking.

"The Tandeki Group has opened six of the gates already," she said. "If they open the seventh one, we are screwed."

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "I don't understand you."

"The Woman in Red," Mika said. "She is coming." Every inch of my body froze. I remembered that I email got this morning. Most of the message didn't make any sense. At first, I thought that my phone caught a virus. I scrolled through the long email to try and make sense of what I was reading. That's when I saw those four words.

The Woman in Red.

Something about seeing those words gave me chills. Where had I heard them before? I felt Mika grab me by the shoulder, pulling my back to reality.

"Anri!" she shouted. I looked up at her, panting.

"What?" I asked.

"You're shaking," Mika said. I looked down at my legs. They were shaking like she said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," I said. I sucked in a mouthful of air. "Tell me more about the Woman in Red." Mika took her hand off of my shoulder. I knew I asked her about this before.


End file.
